10 Things You Only Know If You're a Southerner Living In The North.

Tuesday, 2 May 2017

So I've been living in the North for almost 4 years. Four bloody years. Shocking, right? Time flies. I remember like it was yesterday. Four summers ago when I was taken from the sunny streets ofLuton to the rural greens of Greater Manchester. A memory I won't be forgetting anytime soon, that's for sure. So, since being here for almost four years ( and almost acquiring "Northern Status" according to some, the operative word being almost) I thought that for this week's post, I should let you guys know the 10 things I only know as a result of being a Southerner in the North but before I do, here is a disclaimer:DISCLAIMER: Please know that I am fully aware this is not applicable to ALL Northerners, this is not a generalisation. The points mentioned below are all based on my personal experiences since living here) Anyway, now that's out of the way, Enjoy!...

1. You're posh. It doesn't matter what part of London or the south you happen to be from. To a Northerners, you'll always be posh, as they struggle to differentiate from a southern accent and that of a posh one. It doesn't bother me though. I find it flattering.

2. You never really get used to the weather. Being from the South, I'm pretty used to the nice weather. So when I moved to Manchester, I got quite the shock when I was met with cold, harsher winds and constant wet weather on a daily basis. Now, I always knew that the North was a LOT colder than the South but I never knew to what extent. However, it doesn't bother them though. A splash of rain isn't going to inhibit a Northerner from getting on with their day, for which I admire them for.

3. You'll always get asked to say random words. This is because as a result of being from the South, you say certain words differently. So you may get asked to say words like "dance" or "bath" which in the South (and everywhere else but the North) is pronounced "darnce" or "barth". (Which is obviously the correct way to say it, of course) but each to their own.

4. Everyone calls you ''love''. I know this is meant to be some sort of term of endearment and it's their way of being friendly but you do get called it A LOT.

5. You thank the Lord when you meet a fellow Southerner. Which is obviously rather rare but when you do, you're over the moon.

6. You realise that not everyone sounds as if they're from Coronation Street or Emmerdale. Growing up, the only exposure I got to Northerners were from the likes of shows like Emmerdale and Coronation Street, so forgive me for being under the impression that you all sound the same because that obviously is not the case, besides, I quite like the accent.

7. Northern Slang is strange. There. I said it. In the North, Bacon Rolls are "Bacon Barms" WTF . What the hell is a barm or barmcake or a buttie?? Beats me.

8. Chips and Gravy is a thing. It's a delicacy in the North. ... and it's actually quite nice.

10. Things are generally much cheaper. The cost of living in Manchester is remarkably cheaper than it is in the South. Things are a lot more affordable, which is always a plus, besides, who doesn't love a good bargain?!

Ife x

*All photos in this post are sourced from the following Tumblr accounts: